RARE YELLOW RATA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

RARE YELLOW RATA.

Yet another correspondent has written upon the subject of the rare yellow rata, The writer of the letter is K. Williams, of Tahere, Whangarei, who states that, in a small piece of bush on their farm, there are four or five bushes of yellow rata. " They are the only ones I have heard of in this district," says the writer. " Thej have finished seeding now, but the red and yellow, growing together, look lovely when in flower."

" Copper mining used to be carried out here —do you see those bright green streaks down that rock-face ?—and that is why this headland was called Miner's Head. Gold and silver have also been found on the Barrier." "An interesting place," commented Pat. " Anything else ? " "Yes : many years ago, before there was any cable or telephone, the Great Barrier used to have a pigeongram postal ser vice. The settlers tied the letter to the legs of the pigeons and they used to fly up to Auckland with them. If you ever come across a three-cornered stamp, with a pigeon on it, you should keep it. for you may never sec' an other.

" Oh for a fishing lino! " breathed Pat. " How I would love to hook one of those big chaps I see dewn there! " " Some day you must come down here for a holiday, and then you will find fun in plenty ail the day long. And don't forget the wild cape-gooseberry patch qp the Burned Hill, where you can pick and never como to the end of the fruit! Now we must set out on our travels again, for there are many more places for us to visit." Swiftly the Silver Plane rose from the blue waters, up over the rugged hills, and into the spacious blue of the sky, and soon Great Barrier was only a faint shadow on the horizon.

ful spring, but very strange to say, there were two rose trees instead of one. Then the poor little flower remembered her promise 10 the lark. It was not long before he came and demanded the promise of the daisy's home. " Oh, please give me time tp tell the other daisies," pieaded the little flower. When all the daisies heard they had to leave their home, they all sighed, then smiled, and said, " We love you all the more, little Queen of the Daisies, for being so good to tho Rose, Queen of all the Flowers! " Then tho lark came and pulled all the bravo little daisies out of tho earth which so long had been their home, and while he pulled, he scattered the seeds everywhere in haste to get his nest ready for his young. Where they were scattered, they grew, and that is why you find daisies scattered all over the earth to-day.